Muslim neighbors

• Can I go to my friend’s church, mosque or temple? Usually, yes. Most places of worship welcome visitors, and going with a friend is the easiest way. 1 min read
• Do Christians, Jews and Muslims worship the same God? All three faiths say there is one God, the God of Abraham. 2 min read
• How do I explain other religions to my kids? Straightforwardly and early. Kids are naturally curious and don’t have the anxiety adults bring to these conversations. 3 min read
• I’m going to an interfaith wedding. What should I expect? Expect the unexpected, and be delighted by it. 3 min read
• Is “Arab” the same as “Muslim”? No. Arab describes a people who share a language and culture. 2 min read
• Is it OK to be angry at God? In most traditions that believe in God, yes, and the scriptures say so more directly than many preachers do. 3 min read
• Is religion the cause of most wars? No, and scholars who study this say the answer is more complicated than either side usually admits. 3 min read
• My friend is fasting for Ramadan. What do I do at lunch? Eat your lunch. Your friend has fasted next to sandwiches for years, and most don’t mind. 1 min read
• Ramadan and Lent at the same time? What’s going on? Ramadan follows the moon, so it moves about 11 days earlier each year. 2 min read
• Should I bring food when someone dies? Almost always, yes, but check first. Most traditions welcome it. 3 min read
• Someone made fun of my friend’s hijab or turban. What should I do? Stand with your friend. You don’t need a speech. 1 min read
• What do Muslims believe? Muslims believe in one God. Allah is simply the Arabic word for God, and Arab Christians use it too. 2 min read
• What does “love your neighbor as yourself” mean? It means caring about other people’s good as much as your own. 2 min read
• What does it mean to surrender to God or a higher power? Surrender means letting go of the need to control everything and trusting God with the outcome. 2 min read
• What happens when we die? What do different faiths teach? Every major tradition has a teaching about death, and no two are quite the same, though many share a shape. 4 min read
• What if my child leaves our faith? It’s one of the most painful things a religious parent can face. 3 min read
• What is a rabbi, an imam, and a pastor? All three lead faith communities, but in different ways. 3 min read
• What is halal? Halal means ‘permissible’ in Arabic. For food, it means the animal was slaughtered in a specific way (quickly, with a blessing invoking God’s name), and certain things are prohibited: pork, blood, and alcohol. 3 min read
• What is Ramadan, and how do I wish a Muslim neighbor well? Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting. Many Muslims go without food or drink from dawn to sunset, then break the fast together at night. 2 min read
• What is the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims? The split goes back 1,400 years, to the question of who should lead the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad died in 632 CE. 3 min read
• Who is Abraham in Judaism, Christianity and Islam? Abraham is the shared father of faith for all three. 2 min read
• Why do people change religions? For every reason you can think of, and then some. 3 min read
• Why do some Muslim women wear a hijab? Many Muslim women wear a hijab, a head covering, as an act of modesty and devotion to God, based on how they read the Qur’an. 3 min read
• Why do some people take their shoes off at home? Practical, respectful, and in some cases sacred, usually all three at once. 3 min read
• Why does my neighbor’s synagogue or mosque have security guards? Because houses of worship have been targeted. 2 min read
• Why don’t some families celebrate Halloween? Usually it’s about faith. Some Christians feel Halloween’s focus on death, spirits and fear clashes with what they believe. 2 min read

1. About AD 570The Prophet Muhammad is born. Muhammad is born in Mecca, in Arabia; Muslims honor him as the last prophet sent by God.
2. AD 610The Qur'an's revelation begins. Muslims believe the angel Gabriel began revealing the Qur'an to Muhammad in a cave near Mecca.
3. AD 622The Hijra. Muhammad and his followers move from Mecca to Medina; this journey marks year 1 of the Islamic calendar.
4. AD 632The Prophet's death. Muhammad dies in Medina; Muslims believe the revelation of the Qur'an was complete by then.
5. AD 680Karbala. Husayn, the Prophet's grandson, is killed at Karbala; Shia Muslims mourn him each year on Ashura.
6. 1831An enslaved Muslim writes his story. Many enslaved Africans in America were Muslim; Omar ibn Said writes his life story in Arabic.
7. 1934The Mother Mosque opens. Muslims in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, open a mosque that is now the oldest surviving mosque in America.
8. 2006First Muslim elected to Congress. Voters in Minnesota elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Every faith on one timeline →

• 01
  What do you feel when you pray? One Question, Two NeighborsA pastor and a Muslim neighbor Recording soon · about 14 min
• 02
  Abraham, three ways Same Story, Different BookA pastor, a rabbi and an imam Recording soon · about 11 min